LEE — Lee residents will begin to notice a new face in their community as the Police Department welcomes its newest officer, Mark Pierce.

Pierce, during his second day on the job recently, was getting familiar with local road maps and said he was excited to get to know Lee and surrounding towns well.

Police Chief Chet Murch said Pierce has one of he very qualities he looks for when hiring a new officer to their department — a great personality.

Murch said Pierce can talk to anybody, and will fit in well with the officers already there.

Originally from Gloucester, Mass., anyone Pierce talks to is sure to pick up on his native accent as well.

He spent five years serving in the Air Force in security forces and said the thought of joining law enforcement has been an ongoing one over the years.

“I knew I wanted to continue to serve,” he said.

Pierce likes the way Lee handles its safety and law enforcement responsibilities and said he especially believes in helping out even when it’s not mandated, a trait of the department he’s already seen.

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John Huff/Staff photographer
Mark Pierce has joined the Lee Police Department as the community’s newest officer. Pierce served in the U.S. Air Force and will be attending the Police Academy for training in June.

On Monday, his first calls with the department included medical aid and assisting the driver of a truck broken down at the Lee Traffic Circle.

Not yet certified, it won’t be until sometime around October, once he’s completed three months of training at the Police Academy, that Pierce will patrol the roads on his own.

Murch said Pierce will go to the academy in June and finish in September. Until then, he’ll do field training with other officers.

“Just trying to get my face out there so people recognize me,” Pierce said.

Also a new father of a one-month-old baby boy, Pierce is enjoying his life in the Granite State as an Epping resident.

“He’s awesome. He makes my day every day,” he said of his son and joked that he might just have to take him along to the academy with him.

Murch said the investment the town puts into training someone when filling an officer’s position at the department is huge. Between training, benefits, and equipment, the total is somewhere between $60,000 to $80,000.

“You hope that the hiring process is a good process,” Murch said.

Pierce was one of 84 applicants for the job, narrowed down to 26 who completed the physical agility portion, and then one of just four who did the chief’s interview.

Mark was the pick of the bunch,” Murch said. “We look forward to having him here.”